The Mayor shall be the chief executive officer of the said City, and shall take care that the orders, bylaws, ordinances, acts and resolutions of the Council, thereof are faithfully executed. He shall be ex officio a justice and conservator of the peace within the City and shall, within the same, have, possess and exercise all powers and perform all the duties vested by law in a justice of the peace, except that he shall have no jurisdiction in civil cases. Any warrant or other process issued by him may be executed at any place in the County. He shall have control of the police of the City, and may appoint special police officers whenever he deems it necessary, and may suspend any policeman for cause; and it shall be his duty to see that the peace and good order of the City are preserved; and that persons and property therein are protected; and to this end he may cause the arrest and detention of all riotous and disorderly persons in said City before issuing his warrant therefor. He shall have the power to issue executions for all fines, penalties and costs imposed by him or he may require the immediate payment thereof, and in default of such payment thereof may commit the offending party to the jail of Berkeley County, or other place of imprisonment in such City, if there be one, until the fine or penalty and costs shall be paid, but the term of imprisonment in such cases shall not exceed thirty days. In all cases where a person is sentenced to imprisonment, or to the payment of a fine of ten dollars ($10.00) or more, (and in no case shall judgment for a fine of less than ten dollars ($10.00) be ordered or given by the Mayor, if the defendant, his agent, or attorney, object thereto) such persons shall be allowed an appeal from such decision to the Circuit Court of Berkeley County, upon the execution of an appeal bond, with surety deemed sufficient by the Mayor, in a penalty of double the amount of the fine and costs imposed by the Mayor, with condition that the person proposing to appeal will perform and satisfy any judgment which may be rendered against him by the Circuit Court on such appeal. If such appeal be taken, the warrant of arrest, (if there by any) the transcript of the judgment, including that of costs, as the law and the evidence forthwith delivered by the Mayor to the Clerk of said Court and the Court shall proceed to try the case and render such judgment, including that of costs, as the law and the evidence may require, but no judgment shall be rendered against said City for costs on such appeal. The Mayor may from time to time recommend to the Council such measures as he may deem needful for the welfare of the City. The expense of maintaining any person committed to the jail of the County, or to any place of imprisonment in said City, by him except it be to answer an indictment or be under provisions of Sections 227 and 228 of Chapter 50 of the Code of this State, shall be paid by the said City. Said Mayor shall pay all moneys received by him for fines or by virtue of his office belonging to said City to the Treasurer of the City within one week after he receives the same.
He shall receive such compensation for his services as the Council shall by ordinance annually fix. (Acts 1915, Municipal Charters, ch. 6, Sec. 31; Acts 1921, Municipal Charters, ch. 14)